Pokemon Platinum, The Novel
by ShikiKaze09
Summary: Join Dawn as she sets out from the peaceful Town of Twinleaf on the adventure of a lifetime! With her Pokémon by her side, can she defeat the gym leaders to be the best, or will she let Barry beat her to the top? And what is Team Galactic's end game? What about the task which Professor Rowan gave her? Can Dawn complete the Pokedex? Only one way to find out!
1. Beginning of Their Adventure

**So originally I was going to do a Digimon fic but then this came to me and just wouldn't leave me alone, so I thought 'why not?' and decided to write and put it up. The summary should tell you what this is about but I'd like to go over a couple of things here first. Ok, since I'm a girl obviously my character is too, I'm also going by canon names, so the blue haired girl is Dawn (me), the blond is Barry and the other guy is Lucas. Dawn's mother's name is Johanna, and Barry's fathers name is Palmer, but I need names for their other parents. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :) Also, I'm not changing my starter Pokémon. Sorry, but it's set, no changing. There will also be no romance! Maybe a hint of a crush or whatever, but in my view, Dawn is 10, Barry is 12 and Lucas can just be the same age as Barry. I won't be giving any of my Pokémon nicknames, I suck at coming up with them anyway. Also, I've never watched the Pearl/Diamond anime so my Dawn is probably different from that one, so please don't tell me that I'm making her OOC, you never see you talk in the game anyway! I'm not sure when I'll next update since I'm a TAFE student and that comes first. That said, enjoy!**

**I do not own Pokémon in any way, shape or form!**

-I-AM-A-LINE-

_"Hello there! It's so very nice to meet you! Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Rowan. However, everyone just calls me the Pokémon Professor. Before I go any further, is this your first adventure? If you need advice, I'm certainly capable of giving it."_

_"This world is widely inhabited by creatures known as Pokémon. Here, I have a Poke Ball. Touch the button on the middle of the Poke Ball, if you'd please."_

_"We humans live alongside Pokémon as friends. At times we play together, and at other times we work together. Some people use their Pokémon to battle and develop closer bonds with them. What do I do? I conduct research so that we may learn more about Pokémon."_

_"Now, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself? Are you a boy? Or are you a girl?"_

_"All right, so you're a girl? Tell me, what is your name?"_

_"Ok… So, you're Dawn? A fine name that is! Now, this boy here… I believe he's your friend. What might his name be?"_

_"Barry, is it? That's your friend's name? All right, Dawn, the time has come. Your very own tale of grand adventure is about to unfold. On your journey, you will meet countless Pokémon and people. I'm sure that along the way you will discover many things, perhaps even something about yourself. Now, go on, leap into the world of Pokémon!"_

-I-AM-A-LINE-

"'Pokémon are by our side, always. I hope you will understand the meaning of those words.' That was the comment left by Professor Rowan, who has returned to Sinnoh from the Kanto region."

Sitting in front of the television, a blue haired, blue eyed girl named Dawn watched the finishing program in interest.

"That concludes our special program, 'Let's Ask Professor Rowan!' Brought to you by Jubilife TV on Nationwide Net! See you next week, same time, same channel!"

With a sign, Dawn switched the TV off and, straightening her pink coat, moved towards the stairs, her white scarf fluttering behind her. She only managed to take a few steps before a blond haired, orange eyed boy about two years older than Dawn (her friend and neighbour, Barry) burst into the room, nearly tripping on the stairs. He was wearing his favourite orange and white striped jacket along with grey pants while his own scarf, green in colour and his brown shoulder bag whipped wildly around him. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"There you are!" He exclaimed, rushing up to her. "Hey, Dawn! Did you just see the TV? Sure you did! Professor Rowan's that really important guy who studies Pokémon, right? That means he must have lots and lots of Pokémon. So, if we ask him, I bet he'd give us some Pokémon!"

Barry spotted her new computer – a birthday gift from her mother- and ran up to it, getting completely distracted from the current topic. It didn't bother Dawn, she knew what her friend was like.

"Oh, hey! Is this a new PC?!" Without letting her answer, he forgot about the computer and continued speaking. "Uh… Where was I?" Barry moved to stand in front of Dawn again. "Oh, right, right! We're going to go see Professor Rowan and get some Pokémon. I'll be waiting outside. Ok, Dawn? If you're late, I'm fining you $10 million!" He dashed off and disappeared down the stairs before she could respond. Bemusedly, Dawn wondered when she'd agreed to go with him. She shrugged to herself and went downstairs.

Her mother, Johanna, perked up and moved off of the cushion in front of the living room television to meet her at the foot of the stairs (a quick glance around told Dawn that her impatient friend has gone on ahead, she'll have to go find him). "Dawn! Barry's already left. I don't know what it was about, but he sure was in a hurry!" Her blue eyes shone with amusement while she tucked a strand of equally blue hair behind her ear.

Dawn huffed quietly to herself in exasperation as Johanna sat back down on her cushion. She moved to leave her house to look for Barry. Dawn hoped he hadn't already left town to go find the Professor, they've never left their peaceful little town of Twinleaf by themselves before, they always had an adult to accompany them and they never went quite as far as the next town, only to the nearby lake, Lake Verity.

Just before she cleared the doorway, her Mom called out to her. "Oh, Yes! Dawn! Don't go into the tall grass. Wild Pokémon might attack you. It would be ok if you had your own Pokémon, but you don't so…" Johanna trailed off but continued after a slight shake of her head. "Well, take care, sweetie!" She smiled.

Dawn nodded and closed the door behind her. She looked around for Barry briefly before a man approached her, a knowing look in his eyes and an amused smile on his lips.

"Hiya, Dawn. Barry was just looking for you. I think he's home now. Why don't you go check it out?" He suggested. Dawn nodded and thanked him before walking towards said friend's house. She shivered, pulling her scarf tighter as a gust of bitter wind blew past her and skittered around the snow piles in her way.

Dawn reached out a hand to open the door but before she could it flew open and…

**THUD!**

Barry crashed into her, nearly knocking her to the ground if not for him steadying her.

Barry blinked in shock. "What was that about?!" He squawked before he realized who he'd bumped into. He let her go and grinned.

"Oh, hey, Dawn!" Barry greeted. "Hey! I'm going to see Professor Rowan! You should come, too! And quickly!" He started to run off again before doubling back. "Oh, jeez! Forgot something!" He exclaimed loudly, rushing back inside.

Dawn blinked slowly at the door in front of her. Was Barry really two years older than her..? He didn't act like it at all. With a resigned sign, Dawn open the door and entered. Barry's mother greeted her with a smile, not looking at all bothered that Dawn had just invited herself in.

"Oh, hi, Dawn. Did you come calling on Barry? He was gone for a second, but then he came running right back home. He just can't sit still, that boy. I wonder who he takes after?" She mused.

Dawn excused herself and went upstairs into Barry's room. He was sitting in front of his own computer, mumbling to himself while shuffling around the desk and tucking things in his bag.

"…I'd better take my Bag and Journal, too…" Dawn overheard. She waited for him to notice her. Barry turned towards her a split second later.

"Oh, hey, Dawn! I'll be waiting on the road! It's a $10 million fine if you're late!" Dawn moved out of Barry's way as he sprinted down the stairs. Dawn heard the front door slam shut not even a second later. She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

In complete contrast to her blond friends exit, she walked calmly down the stairs, said goodbye to his mother and gently closed the door behind her. A few minutes later she was walking up Route 201 to Barry who was staring impatiently at her, an annoyed frown on his face.

"Too slow!" He complained before his face brightened and a wide smile took over his face. "Alright! Let's get moving to Professor Rowan's lab." He led Dawn up to the tall grass where she stopped, a worried frown tugging on her lips. Barry turned towards her, confused, his head tilted slightly.

Dawn remembered what her mother had told her. _"Oh, Yes! Dawn! Don't go into the tall grass. Wild Pokémon might attack you. It would be ok if you had your own Pokémon, but you don't so…" _She repeated this to Barry.

"… …What? Don't go into the grass, right?" He asked, still sounding confused. Dawn's frown deepened. Barry didn't understand how serious this was. She was proven right with what he said next.

"No worries! No problem! It doesn't matter that we don't have any Pokémon. Trust me on this one. I've got an idea!" That just made her more worried, Barry's ideas usually didn't end that well. Just ask their parents, or any of their neighbours.

"Now listen. You know how wild Pokémon jump out when you go into tall grass?" Dawn nodded apprehensively. "So, what you do is, you scoot over to the next patch of grass before any wild Pokémon can appear! If we just keep dashing, we can get to Sandgem Town without running into wild Pokémon!"

He grinned as if his plan was flawless, but Dawn was pretty sure the Pokémon hidden in the grass were faster than them, so they wouldn't be able to avoid them like Barry thinks.

"Ok, stick with me!" Dawn watched as the orange eyed boy backed up and prepared to sprint through the grass. "Ok, here goes! On your marks…" He mumbled. Dawn opened her mouth as he dashed forward, but before he could go into the grass, and before Dawn could say or do something to get him to stop, someone shouted from behind them.

**"HOLD IT!"**

Barry skidded to a stop next to the blue haired girl, nearly tripping over his own feet. Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. Both kids turned to where the yell came from and spotted a stern looking older man striding swiftly towards them, arms folded behind his back. Dawns eyes widened slightly, she knew who this man was! What luck, to run into him right outside their little town!

He stopped in front of Barry and eyed them both. "You two don't seem to have any Pokémon between you?" The two shook their heads. "Then, what is the meaning of going into the tall grass?!" He demanded.

"… …" Barry shuffled in place and explained why they –more like he, Dawn thought- had tried to go into the tall grass despite the dangers.

"… …" The Professor's stern gaze flicked between the two of them. "… …"

Barry turned to Dawn. "Hey, Dawn. This old guy… It's Professor Rowan, isn't it?" Dawn eyebrows rose. Did it seriously take him that long to figure out who he was? Barry was the one who insisted on meeting him; shouldn't he have been able to recognise the professor before her? She mentally shook her head and nodded at Barry. "What's he doing here…?" He whispered.

They turned to the Professor when he suddenly moved a small distance away, his back to them. They exchanged confused looks.

"… … They tried to go into the tall grass because they wanted Pokémon…" The two heard him murmur. "Hmm… What to do…? Their world would surely change if they were to meet Pokémon… Is it right for me to put them on that path…?"

He approached them again. "You two. You truly love Pokémon, do you?" Dawn wasn't one for words, nor did she know how to exactly express the answer that Rowan clearly wanted, so she only nodded as firmly as she could and looked him directly in the eyes. She hoped he could pick up what she was trying the tell him. "Yes" She said simply.

Barry picked up her non-verbal answer easily and agreed. Loudly. "Me, too!" He nearly yelled. "I love Pokémon, too!"

Neither of the two friends could guess what he was thinking, his stern gaze and hard features gave nothing away. "I will ask you once again. You two. You truly love Pokémon, do you?" He repeated.

"What?! You can ask a hundred times! The answer will never change! We'll both answer a hundred times, we love Pokémon!" Barry declared confidently. He turned towards his quiet friend. "Right, Dawn?"

"Yes." She nodded firmly.

Rowans face didn't change. "… A pair of reckless kids who foolishly try to enter tall grass without Pokémon of their own…?" He muttered to himself. Dawn huffed internally. "It worries me what people like that would do with Pokémon."

"…Uh… Well, I, uh…" Barry stuttered nervously. "… …Well, then forget about me, but give a Pokémon to my friend here!" Dawn's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. "I mean, it was me who tried to go into the tall grass and all…" And now she felt guilty, but the professor spoke before she could say anything.

"How big of you…" A bit of surprise leaked into his voice. He straightened slightly. "Very well, then! I will entrust you two with Pokémon! I apologize for putting you through that exercise." Dawn looked at him with relief, she didn't ruin Barry's chance of getting a Pokémon after all! "However! You must promise me that you will never recklessly endanger yourselves again." That was something the both of them had no problem with agreeing to. "Now then… Hm? Now, where…?" Rowan looked around before a boy about their age came walking up from the direction that the professor had originally came from. His eyes, from what the duo could tell, seem to be a brown/grey colour. He wore black pants, a blue and black jacket over a red shirt and he also had a white scarf tied around his neck. On the top of his head was a red hat which hid his hair.

"Professor Rowan!" He called, halting in front of said person. He looked at the two with curiosity. He then turned back the only adult of the group. "You left your briefcase behind at the lake." He set down the case next to him. "Is something wrong here?" He asked.

"Ah! There it is! Lucas, nice work." So that's what his name was, Dawn thought. And the briefcase was what the Professor was looking for earlier. "What I was about to do was to entrust these two with their own Pokémon." Rowan informed him. Lucas stared at him in shock.

"Wha…?! Those Pokémon are crucial. You're giving them away?" He said incredulously.

"Hm! We exist side by side with Pokémon. There comes a time when people should meet Pokémon. There is a world that should be explored together. For them, today is that time. This place, right now." Rowan half lectured/half explained. He turned back to Dawn and Barry who stared at him in amazement. "Go on! Open the briefcase and choose a Pokémon!"

"Really?! Professor Rowan! I can't believe it! I'm so happy now that I can't keep a straight face!" Just like he was saying, a wide smile covered his face and he was practically vibrating in excitement. She spotted Lucas eyeing him with a mixture of amusement and confusion. She couldn't help but feel giddy too, but she hid it a lot better than Barry. She fought to keep from smiling as widely as her friend.

Barry turned to Dawn. "Hey, Dawn. You can choose first." She gave him a surprised look. "Hey, I'm practically a grown-up. I have to show some class here." He said, only half joking. Dawn hesitated but moved towards the briefcase. Lucas opened it as soon as she knelt down in front of it.

Three red and white balls rolled around in the opened case. "Look! These are Poke Balls! There is a Pokémon in each one! Now choose! Which Pokémon will it be?" Barry beamed at her. He was standing on her right and looking over her shoulder while Lucas was crouching down on her other side. Rowan remained where he was but was also watching.

Dawn looked down at the case again. Lucas quietly told her what Pokémon was in which Poke Ball. The one on the left was the 'Tiny Leaf Pokémon Turtwig', the middle was the 'Chimp Pokémon Chimchar' and the one on the right contained the 'Penguin Pokémon Piplup.' She chose to take the middle Poke Ball.

"Then, I choose you! I'm picking this Piplup." Barry picked up the right Poke Ball. Lucas closed the briefcase and stood by Rowans side.

"Very well! Both of you have chosen a good Pokémon, it seems. Now, listen well! The Pokémon you have been entrusted with are unfamiliar with the world. In that regard, they're much like you. As fellow newcomers to the world, I hope you'll do well together. If you have any trouble, come see me at my lab in Sandgem Town. And now, we'll be on our way." Rowan nodded, strode into the grass and disappeared from sight.

"Professor! Wait for me!" Lucas shouted. "Uh, sorry, folks." He mumbled and followed after the professor.

The duo watched as he too disappeared into the distance. "How do you like that? Professor Rowan's really nice." Barry noted with surprise. "On TV, he seems so stern and scary." Dawn completely agreed with him on that. She watched in amusement as he finally exploded in excitement, bursting into a… Dance? Dawn didn't know how to describe it, but it was funny. She smiled.

Barry rushed up to her, eyes gleaming. She grinned back, already knowing what he was going to say.

"Heheh, Dawn! We've both got Pokémon now. There's only one thing to do, right? Are you up for this?" She nodded, eyes sending a clear message._ Bring it on_. Barry's grin widened. "I've always wanted to say this…"

They both backed away from each other and tensed.

"The time has finally come! Dawn!" He shouted, pointing a finger at her. "I challenge you to a battle!"

-I-AM-A-LINE-

**And that's it! What do you think? Is it good, ok, bad? Are there any spelling mistakes? Please tell me if there is! Criticism is appreciated, flames will be ignored. R&R please :) I'll try to get the next chapter written up and posted ASAP! Also, I'll try not to make Dawn into a Mary-Sue, but If you think that she is please tell me! Hope to hear from you!**

**Bye-Bye Baby!**

**Shikikaze09~**


	2. First Battle and Sandgem Town

**A huge shout out to Coli Chibi for being my first ever reviewer! Thanks for the feedback, and don't worry, Dawn speaks in this chapter! The battle scene might be a bit bad though, I'm not very good at writing them unfortunately :(**

-I-AM-A-LINE-

Dawn gripped her Poke Ball tightly as Barry threw his, Piplup emerging from the enlarged ball with a cry. She grinned in excitement and copied his actions, Chimchar landing in front of the penguin Pokémon with a cry of his own.

"Go, Chimchar!" She shouted. "Use Scratch!" Chimchar cried out and rushed towards his opponent, claws held ready.

"I don't think so!" Barry exclaimed. "Dodge and use Growl!" Piplup tried to move out of the way but the chimp Pokémon was faster, and caught up the water type easily. Chimchar's claws raked across Piplup, causing it to cry out. Piplup used Growl on the fire type before he could get away. Chimchar jerked and jumped away from the penguin. Dawn and Barry gave each other a challenging grin.

"I'm not gonna lose." Dawn told him.

"I'm not going to either!"

"Chimchar, use Leer, then follow it up with another Scratch!" Dawn called out while Barry shouted his own instructions to Piplup.

"Use another Growl when he gets close, then try to dodge and use Tackle!" Piplup stood his ground while Chimchar ran towards him using Leer. Barry grinned with pride as his partner followed his instructions perfectly, though he didn't quite manage to dodge Scratch completely. Chimchar jumped up from where he had been thrown.

"You alright?" Dawn called with concern. Chimchar nodded. "Great! Use Scratch and Leer again!"

"Tackle, Piplup!" Barry commanded. Piplup tensed and sprinted to meet the other. The two collided and jumped back, both trying to hit the other while dodging. Their trainers called out encouragement to them. Piplup hit Chimchar with Tackle and the chimp's Scratch landed before they both separated, staring each other down.

"Good job!" Dawn told Chimchar. She spotted Barry praising Pipup as well. "Let's finish this up, alright?" Chimchar grunted in agreement. "Use Scratch!"

"Go Piplup! Tackle!" Chimchar dodged around the attack and scraped his claws across Piplup's back. "Growl while he's in close!" Barry shouted in determination. Piplup turned but the fire Pokémon wasn't there. He chirped in confusion. Dawn's yell caught their attention. "Use Leer before finishing it with another Scatch!"

Barry eyes widened. "Behind you! He's behind you!" He shouted in panic. Piplup twisted around again but it was too late, he was hit by the double attack. Piplup swayed before collapsing, knocked out.

"I did it." The girl muttered in disbelief.

"What are you saying?! We ended up losing?!" Barry stared at Piplup in shock before he sighed and returned his partner to his Poke Ball.

"I won. We won!" Dawn corrected as Chimchar rushed up to her, looking pleased. She laughed and returned him to his own ball after giving him a hug. Barry looked disappointed and handed her some prize money. The blond let go of his ire and smiled at her.

"Whew! Let's go home. I'm beat after that battle. My Pokemon needs rest, too." He suggested. Dawn nodded in complete agreement, blushing as her stomach rumbled loudly. Barry laughed as his own stomach rumbled as well.

"It is lunch time." Dawn noted with surprise. She didn't think that they were gone that long; half the day's already past! Barry grinned at her. "See ya, Dawn!" He dashed towards his house as Dawn made her own way back home, stomach rumbling again.

-TIME-SKIP-

Dawn watched as Johanna finished cleaning the kitchen of their lunch mess, before following after her as she sat down on the cushion. She turned her attention to her daughter with concern; she had noticed how distracted Dawn was.

"What's the matter, dear?" Johanna asked. Dawn told her what had happened earlier that day. She listened attentively with surprise. "Wow. That's what happened to you? You and Barry are lucky to have met Professor Rowan." She said sternly. Dawn dropped her gaze to the floor, not seeing Johanna's eyes soften. "Imagine if you didn't…" She murmured softly. Guilt welled up inside the young girl. "I wouldn't like to think what the wild Pokémon might have down to you two."

"I'm sorry." Dawn mumbled guiltily.

Her mother smiled gently, patting her bandana covered hair. She silently accepted the apology. "Dawn, go see Professor Rowan, and thank him properly for your Pokémon." She glanced up at her mother, startled. She wasn't going to be grounded or punished? "His lab is in Sandgem Town, isn't it? Now that you have your own Pokémon, the tall grass won't be so threatening." Dawn nodded before her mother seemed to realise something. "Oh, I know! Dawn put these on." Johanna handed her a pair of shoes that were hidden underneath the other cushion. They looked nearly exactly the same as her current shoes.

"Going to Sandgem Town is like an adventure in itself, right? With those running shoes, you can get to faraway places much faster." She smiled wistfully. Dawn listened without saying anything. She wondered if Johanna had gone on her own adventure before she was born. She blinked and returned her attention to her daughter. "Well, go on!" She shooed her off.

"Ok, I'm off." Dawn said. "See you later."

-TIME-SKIP-

Dawn spotted Barry on Route 201 even before leaving town; he must have been waiting for her. She walked up to him. "Too slow! Dawn, I'm sick of waiting!" He groaned in annoyance. "I'm going to go see Professor Rowan, so I can thank him properly." Barry told her. Dawn blinked at him in confusion. He had waited for her just to tell her that…? No, he must have something else to say; otherwise he probably would've taken off already. "So, I had this great idea. Listen up, ok?" Dawn nodded warily; she hoped his plan wasn't as dangerous as the one earlier. "You know that lake where we always play at? You know how they say a legendary Pokémon lives there?"

Dawn nodded slowly, was he thinking what she thought he was? "You want to catch it." She stated more then asked.

Barry pointed at her. "You guessed it!" He declared. "Let's catch that Pokémon. That'll make Professor Rowan happy. I'm sure of that!" It seems Professor Rowan has earned Barry –and hers- complete respect. Barry stepped closer to her. "Me and you together, we've got nothing to fear!"

Together, the two ran towards the river. These running shoes are amazing, Dawn thought. Her old pair weren't made for anything but walking and made her feet sore if she tried to even power walk.

"Alright! We're at the lake!" Barry said, stating the obvious. His eyes sparkled happily. Dawn didn't mention that she doubted they could catch this 'Legendary Pokémon'. She didn't even have anything to catch Pokémon with, and she was pretty sure that her friend didn't either. She still wanted to see it though. "Get ready, because we're capturing that legendary Pokémon." He picked up the doubt in her eyes but misunderstood the source. "Trust me on this one. It's here. It even says so on the sign!"

He pushed her forward to get her moving. As soon as the lake came into sight they stopped. A strangely dressed man stood in front of the lake. He had spiky blue hair, a lighter colour then Dawns navy blue. "What's going on…?" Barry whispered to her. She shook her head. She didn't know. The two heard him talking and eavesdropped.

"…The flowing time… …The expanding space… I will make it mine one day… Cyrus is my name. Remember it… Until then, sleep while you can, legendary Pokémon of the lake bed…" The man, Cyrus, turned around and walked towards them. "Allow me to pass. Step aside." He commanded, face completely emotionless. Dawn and Barry moved out of the way and watched him leave. The girl hoped that she never runs into him again, he was intimidating and gave her the creeps.

Barry moved back next to her. "What was that about? Weird guy…" He looked a bit unnerved, not that Dawn blamed him. "Weird is a bit of an understatement." She muttered under her breath.

Barry's enthusiasm returned. "Ok, Dawn! Let's catch that legendary Pokémon!" Before they could move a muscle, a strange cry reached them.

"Kyauuun!"

Barry ran forward, looked around wildly and ran back to her. "Did you hear that, Dawn?!" Dawn glanced around but couldn't find whatever made the noise. She had never heard that particular cry before, and she as well as Barry visited this lake often. She shook her head, she was getting distracted. Dawn nodded at Barry. "I heard it." She said.

"That was the legendary Pokémon crying! That had to be it! Ok! This is our chance! Let's catch it!" Dawns earlier thoughts came back. They didn't _have _any Poke Balls. That _slight setback_ seemed to have finally occurred to Barry. "…Wait! What…?! We don't have anything on us! You know, Poke Balls!" She did know that. "P-O-K-accent-E Balls! If we don't have those, we can't catch Pokémon or take them around with us!" Maybe Dawn should have said something earlier, she already knew all this. Maybe he just likes stating the obvious, she mused.

An idea popped up in Barry's mind. Dawn could practically see the light bulb. "…Do you think Professor Rowan'd give us some if we asked him?" Dawn shrugged. "I don't know, maybe?" Barry ignored her unhelpful answer. "You know, you remember what he said, don't you? He said to visit him at his lab if we needed anything. Ok, Dawn! I'll race you!" He cheered. "Wait-" Barry cut her off. "First one to the professor's lab in Sandgem Town rules!" He shouted over his shoulder.

Dawn stared at his disappearing back blankly. I give up, she thought with a loud huff. She stomped after him.

-TIME-SKIP-

After travelling through Route 201 and battling a few wild Bidoofs and Starlys, Dawn finally made it to Sandgem Town. Lucas met her as soon as she entered town.

"Hi! I've been waiting for you! Please, come with me." He said cheerfully. "The Professor's waiting to meets you." Dawn nodded "Alright." She replied. He led her to the front of the closest and largest building. "See? This is our Pokémon Research Lab." Lucas said proudly. Dawn looked at it curiously, it didn't really look like anything special, but she wasn't going to say that. It was rude. "We'll just go ahead and…"

**"THUD!"**

Lucas trailed off as the door slammed open and Barry burst out, once again bumping into Dawn. "What the…" He started. She stumbled back but was steadied by Lucas before her blond friend could help her. He shot Lucas a disgruntled look but brightened again when he focused on Dawn.

"Oh, it's you, Dawn! That old guy…" Lucas made an annoyed sound in his throat and glared at the blond. 'That old guy' gave you your Pokémon; the least you can do is show some respect, he thought crossly. Barry didn't notice his glower and kept talking. "He's not scary so much as he is totally out there! Aww, it doesn't matter, Dawn. I'm out of here. See you later!" He ran off again.

Dawn turned back to the confused and slightly annoyed Lucas. "What was that about?!" He demanded. "Your friend always seems to be in such a rush." Dawn gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry." She said softly. He waved of her apology with a small smile. "Anyway… Let's go in." Dawn nodded and followed him inside. She glanced around with interest, a few people lingered around the wide room while machines beeped and flashed. Lucas led her to the back, where Rowan was patiently watching their approach. Dawn stopped in front of him and Lucas stood by her side.

"Well, well, look who's here. Dawn, was it?" He questioned. "Yes." She confirmed. "Let's have a look at your Pokémon." Dawn called out Chimchar from his Poke Ball. He looked around curiously and tilted his head back to peer at her. Rowan watched the Pokémon intently and gave a thoughtful huff. "…Hmm… I see…" He muttered. "This Pokémon seems to be rather happy." Dawn recalled her partner into the ball.

"Hm! Entrusting you with that Chimchar was no mistake, it seems!" A bit of his sternness faded from his eyes. Dawn guessed that he was worried that he had given the Pokémon to the wrong people. She was glad to prove him wrong if that was the case. She noticed Lucas' shoulders relaxing and noted that he must have been thinking along the same lines as the Professor.

"Well, would you like to give it a nickname?" Rowan asked. Dawn shook her head. "No, thank you." She declined politely. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement. "When I first saw you two about to step into the tall grass without Pokémon, I was shocked." Dawn's cheeks reddened slightly in embarrassment. A quick glance at Lucas told her that the Professor had probably already told him of what they –or Barry- had tried to do. He didn't look surprised at all, and was frowning at her. She dropped her gaze. "I was astounded by these foolhardy children." His voice softened a fraction. "But now, you've astounded me in an entirely different way."

Dawn looked at and met his stare. "Already, there is a bond growing between you and that Pokémon. I feel privileged to have met you." Her eyes widened as he inclined his head slightly. Lucas stared in stunned silence. Not too many people have been acknowledged by Rowan before, and this girl… She hadn't known him for even a day and she had earned the Professor respect, Lucas thought in disbelief. That in itself earned her his respect as well. "I'm sure Chimchar feels the same way about you. That's why I'll ask you to cherish that Chimchar of yours." Dawn nodded, completely speechless.

Lucas shook his head and turned to her. "Boy, am I glad you're kind toward Pokémon." He said with relief. "If you weren't, well… I don't even want to think about it." He shuddered. Dawn didn't know what to say to that, so she stayed quiet.

"Er-Hem!" Rowan cleared his throat to get their attention. "Let's move on the main topic. There is something I want you to do for me. Allow me to properly introduce myself first. My name, as you know, is Rowan. I study Pokémon. First of all, I want to know exactly what kinds of Pokémon live in the Sinnoh region." He explained. Dawn listened curiously while Lucas looked bored, but maintained an expression of interest. She guessed that he's heard this multiple time before. "To do so, it is necessary to collect data using the Pokédex."

Dawn nodded, an idea of why Rowan was bringing that up popping into her head. "This is what I wish to ask of me." Called it, she thought. "I want to entrust you with this Pokédex. Will you use it to record data on all the Pokémon in Sinnoh for me?"

Excitement welled up inside her, but she only allowed herself to smile instead of cheering like she wanted to do. She grinned at the two. "You can count on it!" Dawn announced. Lucas smiled while Rowan nodded, looking pleased.

"Hm! Good answer!" He handed her the Pokédex that she hadn't known he was holding. "That Pokédex is a very high-tech device. It will automatically record data on every kind of Pokémon you encounter. Dawn, I ask you go everywhere and meet every kind of Pokémon in this region!"

"I've got the same kind of Pokédex as you." Lucas smiled and held up said piece of tech. Dawn glanced at it. Where hers was pink, his was a nice shade of red.

"When you walked up Route 201 with your Pokémon, what did you feel?" The Professor questioned. Dawn thought for a moment before replying. "I felt… Alive." She said, not really knowing how to express the emotions that ran through her. As cheesy as it sounds, nothing had made her that exhilarated before, not even the visits she regularly made to Lake Verity with her mother and best friend. Rowan nodded slowly, looking lost in memories. "I've lived for 60 long years. Even now, I get a thrill when I'm with a Pokémon." He blinked and focused on her again. "Now, you should know that there are countless Pokémon in this world. That means there are just as many thrills waiting for you out there! Now go!" He commanded. "Dawn, your grand adventure begins right now!"

Lucas spoke up before she could move an inch. "The professor asked me to help, so I'm filling the Pokédex pages, too. That makes us comrades working toward the same goal." He smiled. "I'll teach you stuff later, Ok?" Dawn nodded. "Thanks." She called after him as he walked out the door. He waved over his shoulder at her.

"Thank you." She bowed her head at Rowan and followed after Lucas. She met him in front of the building but before they could say anything the door flew open again and Rowan appeared with a loud call of, "Dawn!" The two kids flinched in surprise. "I have something good here. You should take this as well." He passed a disk to her. She eyed it in confusion but slipped it into her bag. "That is a Technical Machine. That one contains the move Return. Using a Technical Machine, or TM for short, teaches a move instantly to a Pokémon." Dawn tried not to think about how that works, it'll probably only give her a headache. "Bear in mind, however, that a TM is single-use only." Rowan warned her. "The move Return gains power the more friendly your Pokémon is with you. It's up to you, of course, if you want to use that TM or not." He said calmly.

"I'll send you off with the wish that your journey will be fun." Rowan turned and re-entered his Lab, leaving Dawn and Lucas blinking dumbly at the now closed door. "Well, I'll be… The professor had TMs…?" He shook his head in disbelief and turned to his 'comrade'. "Next thing, he'll tell me he battled when he was young." He quipped. Dawn laughed slightly in agreement. Lucas' eyes lit up suddenly.

"Hey, Dawn! I want to show you a few things. So, follow me!" They stopped in front of the building next to the Lab, it had a red roof and a Poke Ball symbol above the door. "This building with the red roof is the Pokémon Center. You can get your Pokémon healed if it's been hurt in battle." Lucas explained. "You'll find a Pokémon Center in most towns." What about the towns that don't have them, she wanted to ask, but he'd already led her to the next destination.

"Over here, the building with the blue roof is the Poke Mart. It's a shop where you can buy and sell all sorts of items. Dawn, since you're a rookie Trainer, you won't be able to buy very much stuff." He said apologetically. Dawn's eyebrows furrowed. "Don't worry about it, Ok?" Something seemed to occur to him. "Oh, yeah, right! Dawn…" His voice gentled. "You should let your family know you're helping Professor Rowan put together his Pokedex."

Dawn stared down at her feet. She hadn't given a thought as to what her mother might think about her taking off to help Professor Rowan. She tried to fight down the guilt building up in her. Lucas kept talking, she focused on him again. His eyes were filled with understanding. "Sometimes, you have to go far away, so you should let someone know. Oh, but first, go heal up your Pokémon at the Pokémon Center. You'll be safe then. Ok, be seeing you!" He strode of before she could thank him.

Time to head home and tell Mom everything, she thought. I wonder if Barry's told his mother yet, Dawn mused with a sigh, then made her way to the Center like Lucas had suggested.

-I-AM-A-LINE-

**Second chapter done! R&R please! I like hearing what you think and what I should do to improve it.**

**Bye-Bye Baby!**

**Shikikaze09~**


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